Welcome to the January 22nd Walnut Creek Planning Commission meeting. Would you call the roll?
Commissioner Moran here. Commissioner Cown? Here. Commissioner Strongman? Here. Commissioner Klopp? Here. Chair Anderson? Here.
Commissioners Kwok and Vice Chair Knighting both phoned in that they will not be attending tonight. Thank you.
So we have a quorum. We have anything on the consent calendar?
Staff has nothing to recommend to move to the staff to consent. In that case
We'll move on to item 3, which is public communications.
There are two chances that you have to speak with a member of the public.
And one is at the hearing for any particular item, you can just speak at each of those.
The second one is if there is something you wish to speak on that is not on the agenda
but is within our jurisdiction, you can speak at this time.
And if so, I just come to the podium, microphone.
No one wants to do that, and we will move on.
Disclosive ex parte communications.
Anybody have any communications to disclose?
All right.
Moving right along, then.
I get to the first public hearing, and this is Pacific Veterinary Hospital organitiously
use permit.
You have a staff report on that?
We do have a staff report and perhaps some visual aids.
There we go.
So, good evening, planning commissioners.
My name is Gerardo Victoria, Assistant Planner Community Development.
The project before you today is the Pacific Vet Hospital located at 1079 Boulevard Way.
Just some site context for you.
Here is Boulevard Way right here.
This is Boulevard Circle.
The tenant space with the star, that's where the business will be located.
The adjacent business is an automotive shop.
The site is surrounded by retail at this location, retail across the street, and a chiropractic
and salon offices or businesses located at this location.
The general plan designation is general retail, the zoning is community commercial, pet hospital
uses are permitted with approval of a conditional use permit.
So the business plan calls for 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Thursday.
will be closed Friday, Saturday, and Sundays. The layout are MRI rooms,
equipment rooms, control rooms, and offices. No overnight boarding of animals
are allowed at this location. No walk-ins are allowed. The facility is entirely
enclosed and two to three hospital staff will be at the location during hours of
operation. So this is the site plan. So the tenant will be located at this right
here. It's about 5,000 square feet of tenant space. This is the adjacent
business, the automotive shop. Over 30 parking stars are located here and north
over here. The space is building an enclosure, a six-foot enclosure for the
chiller right here and it is located right here. The floor plan, they enter
through here. This is where the MRI is located here in this room right here. You have the
control room and equipment room located here. The chiller located on the exterior of the
building is located here. The arrow that's pointing diagonally is because of the picture
over here was taken a little bit in a diagonal fashion. So this is the location of the chiller
right here. Excuse me, the enclosure is going to be located here. So the standard conditional
Our use permit findings do apply as outlined in the draft resolution that has been provided
to you.
Staff recommends move to adopt a secret determination 15-301 existing facilities and approve the
conditional use permit based on the findings outlined in the draft resolution to allow
Pacific Vet Hospital at 1079 Boulevard Way.
I am available for any questions or comments.
The applicant, Kira Connery, is also available for any questions or concerns or comments.
questions for staff mr. strongman what is going on with the second floor of
that building the second floor has been subleased to the automotive business as
an office for them okay thank you and I've noticed that there is street
parking but when I drove past it the other day the parking was full yes yes
So, go ahead.
That's fine.
Okay.
And the question is, okay, as long as they have, I guess,
three or four spaces reserved for their employees,
and I guess the van, it should be okay.
Correct.
So they did submit a parking study that showed that
for their two to three employees at a time,
they need two or three stalls,
plus one additional for the shuttle,
and they are adequately parked.
The space, or excuse me, the use allows one parking stall
for 250 square feet of rentable floor area.
But because the previous use
had the same parking requirement,
they're not, they don't need
to show additional parking stalls.
Will they be marking those spaces specifically
for their, for the vet hospital?
Correct, as the Park Endinosis stated,
they will have to note those.
Thank you.
Questions?
Just a follow-up question to that.
I thought I read that they had seven parking spaces
that were allocated to them.
Yes, total seven to them, and they're outlined here,
I believe in green right here.
The space shares 14 with the auto body shop,
and then the rest are all for the auto body shop.
But because of the parking analysis,
they're only required to have four total,
but they're providing seven, so.
So if they provide seven that you can only park there
if you're using the hospital,
then that's fewer parking for everybody else.
And the parking lot's currently been full?
I don't think it's gonna be,
I don't think the parking will be assigned.
Okay.
It's just they've met the parking requirement.
And I'm- I see, okay.
Director didn't mention it,
but there's customers do not go to the site.
This is an annex from the hospital in Lafayette.
So just the pet owners will not be here, so.
Gotcha, it's just the staff and the van.
Okay, thank you.
Any other questions?
Commissioner Moran.
Forgive my, thank you.
Forgive my ignorance about the MRI chillers,
but is it like a air conditioning unit?
You know what I mean?
Like outside makes noise.
The applicant's here, she can shed light on that.
Fair.
Yes, the chiller is like a heat pump
an air conditioning unit, so it has a fan that helps cool the MRI machine itself, so
that runs outside 24-7, yeah, but very similar to an air conditioner.
Oh, I'm sorry, my name is Kira Connery, I'm an architect with MD Architects.
Thank you.
Any other questions of staff?
Okay.
I'm going to do your staff report, yes, fine, and I will invite you actually to stay there
if you wish.
Sure.
Your anyone else from your group can make a 10-minute presentation if you wish to add to
What's been said? I don't have a presentation to add to Gerardos today
I just wanted to be here to thank the Commission for considering the project and to answer any questions that that anyone might have
Let me let me start that yeah, I'm curious about the first floor
that the
the space aside from the proposed there the rest of the space is not occupied now is that correct?
Correct they are leasing the space with the intent of just using it for the MRI scanner and the
support spaces the control room and the equipment room as a supplement to the services that they
have at their main hospital. So if I'm gonna apply bringing FIDO in to get
scanned, I would come in through the through the entrance, the red bear and then go
around and up to the left into the small office basin. Correct yeah you sort of
you go up to the control room door and you would pass through the control room
before going into the scan room.
So what I'm curious about is, if that other tenant space is occupied later on, will there
be, there would have to be some changes made or some restrictions on, or some easements
I guess, across that space to be able to continue to get animals across there?
It's all a single tenant space.
So the lease agreement with the landlord is for this and the second floor as a single
leased space so they wouldn't use part of the first floor for another purpose if I'm
understanding your question.
So the veterinary hospital is in fact leasing the entire both floors?
They are currently leasing both floors.
So they have complete control over who might be occupying that space and what they might
be doing and whether they're like animals.
They're subleasing one office room on the second floor to the neighboring
auto shop for their sort of secretarial uses, but Pacific Veterinary
leases both floors from the landlord. Do you know if there's any plans that
just be simple renting for office space? I don't think they have any other plans
to sublease anything to anyone else.
I think the auto shop sublease was just a matter
of neighborly convenience.
Because they had the space available
and they needed some extra space, yeah.
Okay, anyone else?
Questions?
Commissioner Klop.
Hi, thank you for coming.
Sure.
And I'm wondering if you're able to answer this question.
It relates to safety.
So MRI machines are extremely high risk.
I'm a nurse healthcare person.
And so I am making an assumption,
but I just want to validate it,
that they have a machine in a trailer on site
in Lafayette right now, and it's being moved to this location.
Or a device will be placed in this location,
so they already know how to work with an MRI,
but will the training process and the safety process
be consistent and be in place?
Yes.
They no longer currently have the trailer.
They had the trailer previously.
It was removed, and the lease on it was ended.
So the trailer is no longer in the equation.
But they are familiar with general MRI safety protocols
as a business, and we'll be observing those and training
staff as needed for the new machine that
will be going into this space.
One more question.
Do you know how many MRIs they'll perform per day?
That I do not know.
I could certainly find out from the business owner
if that's of interest to the committee.
I guess I'm looking at how many trips
between this place and Lafayette will take place per day.
I think it varies from what I've heard so far
from their general business plan,
but I don't have a specific number that I can share.
Okay, thank you.
Is it, do most veterinary hospitals,
I know you're the architect out there,
but I'm proud you can tell me,
do most veterinary hospitals have MRI facilities?
No, it's less common for veterinary.
It's becoming a more common service,
and so more businesses are looking to add them
or to create practices that have them.
They do bring in a lot of money for the practices,
So it's a draw in that sense, but they are very serious,
expensive pieces of equipment to purchase and maintain.
Will there be any indication that it
might be helpful to the veterinarians around the area
to be able to use this facility or to bring their animals
from other veterinary hospitals?
Oh, I don't know.
That hasn't come up in our conversations
about the business plan with the client,
but it seems like a possibility,
but not necessarily a specific intent with this project.
Just to staff, if that were to be the case,
where they decided it was a demand
for bringing animals from other hospitals,
would there be additional approvals
that would be required to deal with that?
I don't think so. It would just be,
In fact, I would market that if it was me just to provide that service for different veterinary clinics around
And we I don't think it would change anything that planning staff would do. Okay
other questions
Very much. Thank you and
now I'll ask for any public comment on this matter anybody in the
a few people out there and representing the public want to come and speak that's
fine if not and I don't see any movement will pass on and the applicant of
course has five minutes to respond to the comments that were not made but
you're willing to pass that on we'll just get on bring it back to this close
the public hearing and bring it back to the Commission Commission account I'm
I'm ready to make a motion.
Mr. Chair, I move that we approve the resolution
for the conditional use permit application number Y25069
and finding it exempt from CEQA as well.
Second.
We have a motion and a second.
Any discussion about the motion?
If not, would you call the roll?
OK.
Commissioner Count?
Yes.
Commissioner Strongman?
Yes.
Mr. Moran?
Yes.
Commissioner Klop?
Yes.
Chair Anderson?
Yes.
Motion carries.
And we will move on to the next item, which
is stereo 41 conditional use permit for alcohol sales
and service past 11 PM.
That report, thank you.
Good evening, commissioners.
Good evening, chair, members of the commission,
Simmer-Gale, senior planner with the city.
And I apologize, I'm getting over cold.
So if I need to repeat anything, please let me know.
So tonight before you is a conditional use permit
for stereo 41 they're requesting
to extend their alcohol hours.
And the applicant and owner representing the project,
Victor is here tonight.
And from the city, we have Lieutenant Drew Olson
with the Walnut Creek Police Department.
And of course, myself to answer any questions
may have after this presentation. And just to quickly orient you with the
site, stereo 41 is located at the corner of, I guess I'll try using this as well,
a commercial and Bonanza and this is the building right there. It is a 3,000
square foot building and it is surrounded by similar commercial retail
restaurant type uses. A site is zoned pedestrian retail. Restaurants are
permitted by right in this zone, and a conditional use permit is required as the request is to
serve alcohol beyond 11 p.m.
Just to quickly give you a little background, the project or the restaurant is currently
operating under an administrative use permit, which does allow the restaurant to serve alcohol
till 11 p.m. 7 days a week, and this was approved in 2025, and then in 2024, prior to that,
applicant has submitted a design review essentially to remodel and add on some
new areas to that existing space. So by the time everything was completed the
business didn't really start operating till November 13th of 2025 and
currently stereo 41 is operating as a full-service restaurant under a type 47
alcohol business license which does allow beer wine and distilled spirits
and the hours of operation are 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. seven days a week. Alcohol is
served both in the indoor and outdoor dining areas of the restaurant and the
the outdoor dining permit does limit alcohol service until 11 p.m. seven days
a week. So that the outdoor dining area or alcohol service in that area is not
affected by this use permit and they'll stay in place, as is.
And the current security measures in place requires certification and training of all
employees under the RBS program, and there is a manager onsite to really oversee all
operations seven days a week, and there are security cameras installed throughout the
restaurant as well.
So tonight, the applicant is requesting to extend the alcohol hours for Friday Saturdays
only.
So the sales and service will be till 1230, which is essentially a last call, letting
customers know that there will be no alcohol service beyond 1230 a.m. and then the consumption
would be allowed till 1 a.m.
And here's just a closer look at the site photos and floor plan.
So as mentioned earlier, the CUP tonight is only for the indoor dining area.
so the requests to extend alcohol hours were only applied to the, sorry, the indoor dining area.
The photos you see here as the top is the entrance of the building and the photo here is
taken from commercial lane. This is essentially the outdoor dining area behind, if you go in
through this door here, and I believe you can also access the outdoor dining area from the
entrance to the left side.
And before you tonight are these findings, conditional use permit findings that will
need to be made in order to approve this project.
And here are additional conditional alcohol findings that are required to be made and
all of these findings are addressed and outlined in your draft resolution attachment one.
And I'm happy to go over any of them or elaborate if needed.
So tonight staff does recommend that the Planning Commission move to adopt the draft resolution
approving the conditional use permit allowing the alcohol sales and service till 1230 a.m.
and consumption of alcohol till 1 a.m. on Friday and Saturdays only.
And with that, I do conclude my presentation, but happy to answer any questions.
Questions for staff?
Commissioner Klein.
Oh, I'm still on.
Sorry.
Thank you for the presentation.
if you're feeling better soon.
Thank you.
The one question I had, or comment I had,
was I appreciated the concept of limiting this hour extension
to just Friday and Saturday.
If I remember correctly, there's a provision
that after a year of performing well
on the Friday-Saturday, it can be expanded
to other days of the week by an action
of just the Chief of Police
and the Community Development Director, am I right?
correct and that's actually condition number four and it's on page five of
attachment one. Just to follow up on that, if that provision were not in
there and after a year in order to do that they would have to come back to the
Commission, is that correct? That is correct and typically that is the process
that we follow but given that there have been no calls of service in the last few
months for this business and they have other business. The owner has other
businesses operating in Walnut Creek that have not received any calls for
service. We've provided this condition obviously after further review at that
time, one year from today, we can then make that call. So just trying to
streamline the process if we can for businesses that are in good operations.
Thank you.
Questions?
Commissioner Count.
I appreciate that there are business owners of multiple businesses that have such an excellent
track record and that that was taken into account with this plan.
Can you just, for the purposes of the public, to understand, talk about what it looks like
if there are any issues over the coming year after,
if this is approved.
So this is operating under,
if this conditional use permit is approved tonight,
it would operate allowing the alcohol extended hours
only on Friday and Saturdays.
And of course, one year from this,
if they were to extend the hours of operation,
they would need to come in to the city offices,
submit an updated operating plan.
And at that time, the Walnut Creek Police Department,
which I can also let the lieutenant elaborate if needed,
but they will review that and check the records
to see if there's any calls for service
or if there's been any activity
that would require either a,
obviously a rejection of that condition
or having them come before this commission.
Any other questions?
No, thank you.
I don't know if the,
please, I'd like to give a quick presentation
what you've learned, okay?
They've been good citizens, I think.
Then I will let the applicant hear.
Victor?
Victor, do you like to make a presentation
or tell us anything?
All come.
Thank you.
Can you hear me?
Yeah.
Okay.
I didn't come prepared with a presentation,
but I'm just here to field any questions
if you guys had any.
And thank you for taking the application for the CEP.
And I appreciate it.
My name's Victor.
Victor Gabin.
Good to meet you.
Sorry.
Do you see any difficulty in, right now, the outdoor dining
and the indoor closed at the same time?
No.
In a situation where you're closing two hours earlier
on the outdoor.
Sure.
how that transition takes place?
So right now we close them both at the same time,
just because we're not open past 11 anyways.
In the future, what we'll end up doing
is just shutting that area down at 10 o'clock probably,
which is normal dining close,
that's like when our kitchen would technically close
if we were open till 11 anyways,
and then moving all of our operations
exclusively indoors at 11.
So by the time 11 rolls are on there,
probably there shouldn't be no pay there.
Most people don't wanna be outside from, you know.
Our restaurant has a full-time DJ as well that's inside,
so no one wants to stand outside of the space anyways.
Very good.
Any other questions?
I do.
Thanks for being here.
I have yet to darken the doorway,
but I'm looking forward to it.
But can you just, is it more of a restaurant?
Is there a bar?
Yeah, so the best way I can describe it
is it's basically a restaurant with a really good sound
system and a well-curated playlist.
It's a restaurant.
We have a bar.
The majority of our business is the food sales.
It's like 70% or 80% of our business.
And with the addition of the late night hours,
we will also have food until around midnight.
So I see the split being still pretty heavily
in the favor of food.
Thank you, yeah, appreciate it.
Thank you.
Thank you.
All right, sorry, any member of the public
who wishes to speak on this matter?
Seeing none, bring it back to the Commission.
Any comments?
No comments whatsoever?
Very chill group tonight.
All right.
I guess, Mr. Chairman, I'll make a motion.
I'll ask for a motion.
I'll make a motion.
Mr. Clark.
I'd like to move the approval
the conditional use permit application number y 25087 stereo 41 extension of
hours for alcohol sales service and consumption on Bonanza Street so I can't
do further comments on the motion call for the role are we ready
mr. Klopp approve mr. Strongman yes mr. Moran yes mr. count yes we missed
anybody besides the chair? Chair Anderson? Yes. Okay, motion carries. Thank you very much.
Are there any commission considerations we should take note of? I have a couple staff
announcements if we want to get to that. We have an upcoming meeting where we will have
some, bring some food, it could be a long one. We'll have Mitchell Town Homes and
we'll have the Porsche dealership and we'll also have a potentially, I think
we're, I think it's gonna stay on the agenda, a mobile trailer over at the
Children's Hospital. We recently approved and special use permit for one, they want
to do another one, it's much smaller one, much smaller space. And also, thank you
Commissioner Cowan you brought a today she she asked me about the League of
Cities Planning Commission Academy it is March 11th through the 13th it's at the
Anaheim Sheridan I know in past years that the city had budget to send
commissioners but oh how time changes however we are a member of the League of
cities which brings down the registration fee dramatically from 1700 to 700 so
that's make sure if you do register make sure you register as as a city
commissioner so you won't agree and that is all I have any other commission
comments or announcements reports if not then we go to the ever-popular item
adjournment. Got your adjourned until February 12th.